Sharing the trial and error learned lessons of a MS spouse caregiver / carer about family, home care, and transition to the care facility era from 23 years of living with Multiple Sclerosis as a family ... a ‘warts and all’ picture of living with MS.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Caregiving: Pennsylvania Farm Show

I spent Tuesday pushing Patti through the 25 acres of fun known as “The Pennsylvania Farm Show”, the largest indoor agricultural event in America. As pictured, Patti could and did enjoy herself. Pumpkins as big as a wheelchair and 1600 lb bison are easy to see even if “legally blind”.

The ‘food court’ alone is worth the visit. <grin> Food options are so overpowering you discover something new each year. We ‘discovered’ the PA Mushroom Growers Assoc. booth and inhaled breaded “schrooms” dipped in buttermilk ranch dressing. In the baked goods section, Patti insisted I help her finish her “Old Fashioned Shoo-fly Pie” (I was a 55 yr old “Shoo-fly Pie” virgin). I was grossed out to learn the pie used to sit on window sills and attract flies, hence the shoo-fly name, before my entire metabolism rocketed into hyper drive from the sugar rush. <grin>

Last year we were frustrated competing with strollers and caterers for elevator time. This year we were wiser and the weather was gorgeous so we simply rolled outside and used the gently sloping parking lots connecting the acres of buildings.

The adjacent handicapped parking lot was full and we had to park in a satellite handicapped lot about half a mile away. Limited shuttle bus service was available but as I mentioned the weather was wonderful and the land flat and smooth. Plus this caregiver needed to push off the ‘food court’ calories. <grin>